A Vampire comes to Nowhere
by Subject24
Summary: A weird news report about people being found in their homes as pale as writing paper, and frozen stiff in paralysis. Courage is concerned. And the next day a stranger comes to Eustace and Muriel's house covered in scarfs, wrappings, and trenchcoat asking for refuge from sun. There is something fishy about this stranger arriving in nowhere, & it's up to courage figure him out!
1. This just in: Big Ears and Paper Skin

Courage the cowardly Dog

[A weird news report about people being found in their homes as pale as writing paper, and frozen stiff in paralysis. Courage is concerned. And the next day a stranger comes to Eustace and Muriel's house covered in scarfs, wrappings, and trenchcoat asking for refuge from the unforgiving sun. The sun is shining mildly, the wind is blowing strongly, it's a wonderful day in the middle of nowhere,.. So what is this stranger complaining about? Courage doesn't know… but there is something fishy about this stranger arriving in nowhere, it's up to courage to see exactly what that fishy thing is]

It was a normal night in Nowhere, nowhere ville in the Baggs House. The TV was blaring in the living room displaying some show about two men that were throwing cream pies at each other for some silly reason or another. *Whoopaa!!!* "Oh is that how your going to treat me Samuel, well then i think you should try this flavor" *Whoopaa!!*. Another creampie found its mark. "Why Joe, that's the same flavor!!!" The audience laughed hysterically at their cream filled antics, but not as hard as Eustice laughed. "Ooo Hahaha Ouuuhahaha"

"Did you see that Muriel, he just creamed with a pie, haha and it was the same flavor!!! Heheheh"

Muriel who was rocking in her rocking chair petting courage the cowardly dog, the hero of all the stories of nowhere, and a very pleased pup at the moment.

"So silly" she said chidingly shaking her head. "where do they get all of their pies from Eustace? They have so many to throw at each other."

"From the pie maker of course" Eustace replied snidely. "every good show has a pie maker."

Just then the TV volume turned up to maximum volume as a part of a special broadcast from nowhere news. The Nowhere newsman came on screen with hard waxed orange hair, tired eyes, and his usual coffee stained grin. "We interrupt this paid programming to give you an important announcement." he said exuberant as ever, There is a cloaked killer wandering around somewhere in nowhere!!!"

The whole house gasped in surprise.

"just earlier today, a couple was found in their homes, paralyzed stiff and pale as snow. But the most unusual thing of all, was that all the victims were afflicted with terribly large ears! Like an elephants!!!" the announcer put his hands out besides his head in immigration of an elephant. "here are some clips of some of the victims that have been found since then.". What followed after was almost too ghastly to describe but if there were any description to be said, then it would be about the incredibly enlarged ears of the nowhere victims. They had swelled to the size of small watermelons with ear holes the size of peach pits.

"Ouuughhh" Eustace yelled in disgust. Muriel covered her mouth with a startled gasp "Oh my" She whispered. Courage, who was watching the broadcast intently got a clean direct look at the pictures, and was spared no modesty in its grotesque appearances*. The little purple dogs stomach immediately ejected both his doggie lunch and dinner out onto the floor. This only inspired more yells from Eustace, and oh my's from muriel.(/Luckily courage was quick enough to aim the previously eaten meals into a doggie bag that he kept on him at all times, for safety reasons).

The screen flashed back to the Nowhere News man, "And here with us, is Dr.Vandu to explain what this terrible affliction that affects these people is. Dr.Vandu?"

Dr.Vandu, a bushy browed thick mustached man with an even thicker accent was put on screen. "There is nothing i can do!" He said.

The camera slid back over to the Newsman, who looked unphased by the doctors condemning conclusion. "There you have it folks! This is a deadly stranger with some sort of deadly disease. We will work to keep you educated and informed, But In the meantime, officials recommend that you be careful and report any suspicious activity that you see to the authorities immediately."

And with that Eustace impatiently changed the channel. "Aghh, bah! That News Reporter will do anything to interrupt a show, wastin my time!" he grouched with a scowl on his face.

The Next Day was one of the most beautiful days the middle of nowhere had ever seen. There weren't many clouds in the sky but the wind was blowing strong, and the sun was shining mildly down. It was so great of weather in fact, that Muriel, Eustace, and Courage were all outside actively enjoying the weather. Eustace was working on his truck, which had just been checked by him the previous day, but he considered it a good idea to double check his work. Muriel busied herself with courage in the vegetable garden on the side of the house, watering, weeding and pruning the plants, a chore that courage always found to be enjoyable. Even though he was a dog he had a wide doggie smile on his face as watered the tomatoes on the edge of the house. Muriel hummed one of her self made melodies and the farms windmill squeaked steadily in the lively afternoon breeze.

Courage enjoyed days like these. Days when the entire house was involved in doing something productive. Any day that Muriel was happy was a good day to courage and Muriel was never brighter than whenever she worked in her garden. As for Eustace, him working on his truck or any other task of utility meant that he had no time to play cruel jokes on courage, slap him with fuzzy pink slippers, or yell "stupid dog" at the top of his lungs.

It was a time of softly drifting peace and tranquility on the nowheresville farm. And as Dog of simplicity, courage was enjoying it thoroughly.

Courage finished pruning one of the last tomato vines on the wreath, before standing upright, and wiping the sweat from his brow. He blew a sigh and looked happily out to the dusty plains of nowhere. A tumbleweed blew by lazily a couple dozen feet from the house, bouncing gracefully across the dry ground. Courage lazily watched it skip along, before it crossed something very dark, very thin and very tall. Courage followed the figure from the base of its shadowy figure to the very top, and was met by a pair of brightly gleaming eyes. Courage was transfixed in an awful mixture purplexed confusion and cold doggie fear, he wasn't sure what exactly he was looking at. The tall dark thing stood there in the breeze like the statue of a shadow, gazing back at courage venomously.

Quickly like the shutters of some awful camera lens the pair of eyes blinked rapidly

"AHHHHHHHHHHGGG" He screamed, jumping up 3 feet into the air, and landing in Muriel's arms, who was walking by.

"What is it courage? She asked looking out to see what had startled the poor pup. Her eyes fell onto the same tall thin dark figure standing in their front yard. "Oouu. It looks like we have a visitor! Eustace! look alive, there's someone here to see us."

Eustace who was halfway submerged in his beloved trucks engine, lifted up just enough to see what she was talking about.

"Ehhh? Visitor, we didn't have no visitor coming today. It's just one of those advertisers from the cable company. We don't want any!" He roared, and then returned to his inspection.

The stranger seemed not to take any notice to Eustace and approached the farm anyways. Slowly, and in a weird waltzing manner, he came towards Muriel taking one long sweeping stride before pausing and taking another. Courage shook in Muriel's arms as he watched the stranger approach. It was like watching a creepy fog silently dance itself across the ground towards you in a horror movie. Even in broad daylight, courage felt like this person was very bad news.


	2. A Dark Stranger Talks

Chapter 2: Dark Stranger Talks

Eventually the stranger reached Muriel and Courage, and Courage could see that the person had appeared to be a shadow because he was covered from head to toe in pitch black garments that seemed to eat the light of the Sun itself. With a serious caliber black trench coat covering the bulk of his body, a pair of black velvet gloves covered his hands, a satin black scarf covered his neck and lower chin, and a large black top hat pushed down onto his eyebrows covering almost his entire head as well as his face with the shadow casted from the rim of the hat.

"Greetings fair maiden" The stranger said in a deep voice, the sound of it seeming velveteen in it's baritone rolling. "of this barren land of dry dirt and dust, how dost thee do? Are thine well?"

Muriel paused for a moment in confused silence wondering if the stranger was speaking english, or some other form of foreign speech. Courage, who could understand perfectly most things humans and other creatures communicated, was left also in confusion. They both looked at each other, and then back at the stranger with puzzled faces.

"i'm sorry sir, could you say that again? i didn't quite understand ya".

"Verily, mine dear sweet madam. I asked in kindly greetings for word of thine wellbeing. Even as i might speak this to you, i can see the color of thine cheeks is in similar dress to thine eyes. Pretty as a songbird, it is indeed."

Muriel blushed and giggled girlishly, swaying with embarrassment. "Did you hear that Courage?" I think this man said i'm pretty! Or at least i think he did.."

"That's mighty fancy talk there stranger, can i ask what your here for?".

"Madam, I am here to ask you as a humble traveler, who has little but the clothes on his back for a place of sleep and rest, and refuge from this fire horned demon that beats down from his high perch." He said pointing up at the sun accusingly with a long gloved finger.

Muriel looked puzzled at the complaint of the stranger. "Are you hot?" she asked "This is the coolest weather we've had all summer, isn't it Courage?"

"mmhmm" Courage answered nodding his head knowingly.

"Madam i am being roasted like a Pig on the day of 's Feast. Mine skin very sensitive you see, and has no tolerance for the weather of the day. I beg of you mam, let me come inside that lovely abode over yonder, before i perish into nothing but the same vagabond dust that fills this environment."

"Oh my. That does sound terrible. Why don't you come inside and i'll make you a cup of tea."

"You do bless thine ears with your words Madam. I thank you from the very bottom of my soul"

Muriel lowered courage back down to the ground and lead the stranger off to the front of the house. As courage followed closely on Muriel's heels he studied the stranger closely. He seemed to glide more than walk, and he did so without making any sound at all. This confused courage because the ground around the nowhere ville farm was very dry and any steps taken were usually accompanied by a loud audible crunching sound. But as the stranger waltzed besides Muriel a strange smooth sliding motion, not even the slightest sound was made. And then while gazing down at the strangers dark boots, courage noticed something else that made his blood run cold in his veins. While he was walking directly in the silhouette of his masters shadow, he saw that it had no neighbor. Courage inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with his paws. Both the stranger and Muriel carried on to around the corner of the house leaving courage stopped dead in his tracks.

How does a shadow appear on one person, but not the other courage wondered to himself. Staring after the two that had walked around the corner of the house with an eyebrow cocked. The thought stuck in his mind for only a moment, before it passed by with the nowhere breeze. Courage shook his head, It must have been the way the light of the sun was hitting them. He thought to himself. Anything that is anything makes a shadow when the light shines on it. I wonder if Muriel will let me have some of that pie she's taking out. And with that courage hurried off again after Muriel and the stranger.

When Courage arrived in the kitchen, the stranger was sitting idly down chatting with Muriel while she busied herself preparing the tea and pie.

"- and that is why i am wrapped# in these wrappings of weathered fabrics. Thy complexion wilt simply not suffer the sun's gaze for not longer than a half of a second. Any longer to be suffered would surely turn mine body to naught but dust. Tis a dangerous life for me for sure, during the hot hours of the day."

"I see, I see. You seem to be well though Sir.. i'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?" Muriel asked looking at him behind thick glass spectacles.

"Awhh, tis not your fault Dear Lady, Not your fault. It is quite the lengthy one, even for the people of my time. Thine name is Sir Frodericksburg Von Vinkelsteinillian the 3rd by the first and two halves. Thout may call me Frod, or Froderick for short."

Oooh, Frod!" she said excitedly waving around the spatula she was using to extract the pie from the pan. "That sounds like Fred, my long lost cousin. Such a sweet man, but terribly deranged they say. He's tall and skinny just like you Froderick. You remember Fred don't cha courage?"

Memories of Fred much stronger than the smell of the fresh pie washed over Courage, was standing underneath Muriel as she brought this up. Muriel's creepy nephew who had visited not long ago. A crazed man who had a ridiculous obsession with hair. He had locked himself and courage in muriel's upstairs bathroom for 3 hours and shaved courage head to toe of all his fur. It was a traumatizing experience, and even the faint recollection had courage sick to his stomach. Muriel set down the plate of biscuits on the table along with two steaming cups of her special blend of Saffron chai Tea. Pulling out one of the dining room chairs she sat down and brushed the kinks out of her mustard yellow dress. "So Frod, why don't' you tell me alittle about yourself." She said, taking a small sip of her tea.

The strangers eyes widened with surprise, "Tell you about me? I could tell you about me, dear Lady, but it would take a lifetime to tell you everything. Possibly two lifetimes." the stranger chuckled darkly. Muriel took a sip of her tea and chuckled "oh Frod, you can't go on calling me Lady like that. Muriel is did you come up with that fancy way of talking, it does sound quite lovely." "Madam Muriel, the language that i implore is naught but the common speak of my native country. A country that i left behind a long long time ago." "where is it your native country is exactly?" ""i am hail from the shire of New Brawnsvilles, in the countryside of France. A very empty place i should say. Very similar to here, if you placed grass behest the dust, you would have the image of my home town. The very portrait" "How lovely" "yes lovely it was..but i haven't seen it for many years. Ever since i left to join the Theatre in the Engles." "oh you're into theatre? oh courage we have an actor in our company. I love the theatre, so exciting" "oh no, my lady. I am no actor. I would never subject myself to dramatizing the actions of some other persons script. I am... a scriptwriter. and a very famous one. a very famous one indeed, from the heart of where theatre and drama finds its home. Old old New York. "New york! I love new york! or at least i think i do! i've heard so many things about it but i've never been. Ive always wanted to go" "i would recommend it lady, the city is the vibrantly beating heart of the world. so many lights, so many lives bustling up and down those streets.. yes yes so much life. And so much life to come to the faces looking to put themselves high up in the skies moonlight screen. They look so bright when they come..." "You sound so articulate you must be an excellent playwright.."

"I am the best. I write only but the greatest of plays. Plays that have lead people to tears in the wake of its heart moving force. Plays that have people standing giving me applause the sound of a storm of thunder , and cheers to match the howling of the wind. For years i reigned supremely in the world of theatre with my masterpiece "In the Periffons Gatehouse". In my hometown, there was nobody who had not heard of me. People have traveled from all corners of the world to see my work. Kings and Queens Lady Muriel!… and i do not blame them. For they are truly of the material that exist only in their dreams.

"I've never heard of that play..is it popular here?"

The stranger quietly took a sip of his tea and looked away in quiet thoughtfulness."It has not been so popular here as it was back then, in my Glory day. But surely madam you have heard of the "Butterfly of shimmer and glimmer" or the "Decadent involvement of Tracia Parass"..." The strangers glance came back to Muriel's instantly….

"No, no i don't believe i have…."

"Oh heavens, well then you must have heard of the "foolhardy travels of Connevar and oak" or the "tragic tragedy of Glum Sadley" "The great great Romance of Petersone and Josephinari" "the heartbreak of Germaine"

"no , i don't believe i have heard of those either.." Muriel said looking up thoughtfully…

"My gads Lady Muriel, these productions have been known far and wide. From the farthest corners of the world. From the mediterranean coastal shores to the ice castles of Scandinavia. From distant lands of the far far east of rice and silk, to the southernmost tip of the Afrikana drum. There are not many that have not heard of my works. I was famous in my day. Famous i say!" His eyes at this point were bulging more than a little bit farther than there already puffy state, so it looked like maybe they were about to come out of his head and eat them both.

Courage wined and pulled at Muriel's gown with anxious insistence. "i don't know about this guy Muriel" he said in doggie talk. The man seemed a little to demanding in his claim to fame.

"Im sorry Sir Froderick i've never heard of you, or any of your plays. But that's nothing to ashamed about, i've never really been to any plays to know about hehe. That's nothing to be upset over, honestly."

The vampire maintained his puffy eyed stare, and seemed to be burning in the acidity of his own emotion, the painful intolerance showing in his contorted brow. He was at this point seated hunched over in his seat, crouched like he was considering leaping out of his seat. But after a second he seemed to get over his spell of indignation, and relaxed his face, and laid back in the kitchen chair.

"The citizens of this days world are not at all informed as they should be. How should i suffer ignorance and cast blame… i am in err.."

He took a pause and quietly took a sip of his tea. "I am too weary to be angry at this hour, and too weary to even be dispelling so much talk in the first place" he said before turning his head and fixing Muriel with a glassy intentful stare "tell me madam Muriel.. is there some way that thine eyes could get some time waned through? Some place that i could lay for a good length, lest awhile?"


	3. A Dark Dark Place

Chapter 3: A Dark Place to Sleep

It was at this moment just as the queer stranger had made his intended request to muriel, that eustace blasted through the door.

"Muriel, where's my socket wrench?!. I left it under the porch, and now its gone! I told you not to let that stupid dog touch my stuff!"

Muriel, who had turned towards the doorway of the kitchen with a furrowed brow. "Ustace courage is a dog, what would he have to do with your socket wrench?!" she said smartly back.

"Oehhhh" Ustace Growled glaring at courage and shaking from head to foot. "There aint nobody else to take a socket around here so who else could it be?" He paused for a moment as he noctice Sir Frodrick siting besides Muriel at the table. Sir Froderick stared at him with the same glassy stare that he had been giving Muriel. Pulling up his long arm, covered in bandages to the dark patch of area that supposedly contained his mouth he took a breif noisy sip from his tea.

"Hello Sire" He stated morosely, never taking his eyes from eustaces.

"Eh? Muriel, Who is this?!".

"This is the stranger that was standing outside but just a moment ago. Honestly eustace, wheres your manners, you saw him come in!" She said, still with temper in her voice. "His name is Sir Froderick" She said, gesturing to the cloaked stranger "He's a thespian,.. or so he says. Isnt that right Sir Frodersck?"

"Yes Madame, that is truestly met"

Eustace stared at the stranger coldly behind thick eyeglasses, before huffing and walking over to the kitchen sink.

"Oh, well tell him not to mess with my T.V., and make sure he dosnt eat my pudding in the fridge.". fumbling around in the kitchen drawers he eventually brought out what looked to be a set of metal grilling tongs and a can back towards the front of the house he glared at courage and fixed the stranger with one last stare before he left the room...mumbling something about courage being a "dumb useless dog".

"That's my husband. Eustace. Dont mind him He's always like that, the grumpy man. But err ahh, please continue Froderick Dear... What was it that you were asking?"

The man seemed like he hadnt been phased at all by the rude behaviors of eustace," he looked back at muriel with the same calm stare.

"I was asking to whether or not you would bequeeeth to me a certain place of slumber" he said, in his deep creepy voice. Eyes leering through the shadow of his hat.

Muriel put a hand to her chin and looked like she was in thought for a half a second. "You know, the guest room that we had installed in the barn is not really clean enough for people to sleep in at the moment. The dirty thing, there is a mess in there that has been there since the last time it was used... but thats another story..." She squinted her eyes in concentration "or maybe the computer room upstairs would be good. It does get bright in there during the mornings but at night it is pretty nice."

The vampire who had during this monologue of muriels laid one very shadowy trench-coated arm on the table, and with gloved hand started rolling his fingertips on the table top wood of the dining room dinner table. thrum-dududu-dum. thrum-dududu-dum thrum-dududu-dum. With his eyes he peered at Muriel unflinching, waiting for her to finish her inventory of her different rooms and living spaces.

"And it gets very dusty in there, when the wind starts to blow. Ustace says its something to do with the barn houses walls being draftee. And I've asked him to fix it, if he knows what the problem is, but he doesn't listen to a word i say. Oh my. And finally theres the basement. We don't use that old thing for anything, and there is plenty of space in there. There sure is. And its dark as well. And no dust!".

The strangers eyes jumped as she mentioned the word "Dark".

"A basement thou sayeth,.." The stranger said

"yes a basement" Muriel said, going on as if she had not noticed the man sudden hyped demeanor.

The vampires eyes widened and then slimed, and some sort of smile flashed some very aged and yellow looking teeth.

"Oh Thoust do maketh me happy Lady Muriel! Your words sound like sweet water to thine ears. Verily, i knew surely that you would have some sorts pf dwellings for me here. I knew from the moment i spotted you in the wide sunny distances before"

"Oh Frod, dear. Theres no need to say something sweet like that. If you need a place to stay, it would only be right to put you up somewhere. It's the least that me and Eustace could do for a weary travler such as yourself"

"Oh no, madame lady Muriel. but there is, there is. For thine have strucketh a note in thy own heart. Of a kindly soul willing to lend thine hand to a poor hapless sun drenched wretch such as myself." The vampire bounded his eyes again underneath his hat. "Why, your words to me just now have given me much more warmth than that sun could have ever have done in a hundred fold years"

"Warmer than the sun?" Muriel laughed. "Oh sir Frod. your too kind. too kind."

could thouest showeth this location to me... ah.. err.. soon?" the vampire looked at the window outside, seeming to glare at the light coming through the window. "I have dire need to rest thine eyes, and be out of this accursed sun"

Then Muriel escorted the vampire out of the kitchen into the living room, and into the living room, courage following them both from the behind. The vampire followed muriel casually, but closely, on the heels of muriels black rubber garden boots. His eyes, bulging disks that darted from right to left, up down adjacent and all around, apparently keen on inspecting every possible detail of the house he could. And as Sir Froderick observed the contents of the house, courage observed this tall shadowy stranger that has come to nowhere.

The mans cloak was a particular interest to courage and seemed to be made of darkness itself. Being immensely dark, and absorbing light from its surroundings,

As Muriel opened up the door to lead the stranger out to the cellar, the sunlight beamed onto them both with bright sun light.

And so Muriel escorted the vampire out of the kitchen and through the living room to the front door. The Vampire followed casually, but also closely on the heels of muriels black garden boots. "I dont know if you will like it" Muriel said as they made their way out of the

His eyes darting quickly from left to right, up down, adjecent and all around.

Courage wondered how any material could be so dark. Even in the middle of the day, it appeared like a cloth of complete and utter darkness. And the coat was light and thin as far as courage could tell, but still held and aura of thickness. Maybe that had something to do with how dark it was, courage thought to himself.

"The basement is outside on the southern side of the house, you should be quite comfy in there, if it is the darkness that you dont mind."

She opened the porch door and held it out for the gentleman in the dark dark trenchcoat... he followed her lead and stepped out onto the porch.

Courage followed close and sniffed the edge of the cloak hoping to get some more clues about where the man had been and who the man was. He took a few brief wiffs of the hem of the travelers cloak to see if it was made of something weird, but he couldnt smell anything.

But then Muriel and the traveler got to the door of the cellar basement, allowing for courage to get a good wiff up close of the hem of the travelers cloak. And what he smelled made him gag and choke. "Ptewie" courage snorted and wiped his paw at his snout. Underneath the travelers cloak, there was a scent that smelled of something very old and very rotten. Courage had not had smelled it at first, but as he had gotten closer, the smell was undeniable. This guy smelled funny. Almost as funny as he looked. Courage watched the stranger closely as Muriel opened the door to the cellar.

"Like i said before, the last people to stay in here did not treat us very nicely, so we shut the door and locked it. You Sir Froderick are welcome to stay as long as you like" she said before turning to him and added "As long as you make sure not to have any midnight rituals of waking the dead or anything like that. Oh and clean up after yourself".

She led the shadowy man down the stairs to the cellar "Watch your step, it gets very dark down here"

The vampire followed in his smooth gliding steps, descending with Muriel into the basement cellar, noticing with wide eyes every detail of the room they were entering "Oh oh, it is quite dark down here" He commented. Mureil and the dark stranger walked into the cellar, getting to about halfway into the room before stopping. Courage himself stopped at the stairs, ready to make a run for it at the first sign of trouble. "Well this is it" Muriel said, waving her arms around in a presenting fashion.

The light shining from the sunny outside shown brilliantly through the doors of the cellar. But still the cellar stayed very dark. Looking around the room courage could only faintly distinguish the contents of the room.

"Oh Oh, sweet lady Muriel, this wilt do thineself most perfectly. Verily! it doeseth look a sight like me!"

*Uh-huh* courage thought from behind, *it should. This guy looks like he is made of darkness! Sheesh! So creepy*

"Yes yes. This place looketh like it will suit thine just fine. You are sure that you are willing to lend such a beautiful hand out to a stranger such as me?" The stranger said to muriel, raising an eye provocatively.

"Oh yes." Mureil said, waving a hand dismissively. "Me and Eustace hardly use this place at all. You can see that it's gotten to be so dusty down here. It must have been ages since the last time we've used it."

The Strangers eyes widened, and seemed to sparkle with a happy light. "Oh oh, lady Muriel, your most gracious. most gracious indeed. I promise that i will not disturb this place while i rest here. Thine will find not a dust hair out of place with thouest have left this place."

"Oh my, that would be clean. Well i thank you for that sir Frod. Your very kind." And then she looked around back to the entrance of the cellar where courage stood waiting. "But if you do't need anything else dear, i think i am going to go back upstairs and finish watering the plants in the garden. The sun was so bright today that im sure that they needed the water."

"Verily,.. Then thou must be behest to do that which thou doth think is best. As for myself,.." The Stranger said looking around the room again. "I think that i may find my slumber in a dusty pocket somewhere here among the floor. I am most weary. Most weary indeed."

Muriel nodded, and then headed back towards the stairs calling back as she went., "Just make sure to let me know if you need anything, Sir Frod dear. I will be happy to help, just as long as you ask." And then reaching down to give courage a pat on the head "Cmon courage, we still have to water the cabbages and the carrots before the sun goes down, we have plenty of work to do".

Courage took one last look at the stranger before following Muriel up the stairs. The stranger stood there in the middle of the room, almost completely camouflaged within the dark shadows of the room. The only thing that courage could see clearly were the strangers large orbular eyes, that were staring back at him from across the room.

courage gave a shiver and a shudder, and proceeded to climb up and out of the cellar, huffing as he went. *I've never seen a person as creepy as that guy come here before. And ive seen alot of creepy people in my day* He thought to himself.

After leaving the stranger to his room in the cellar, Muriel and corage returned to the garden to finish their duty of watering the plants. For the rest of that evening and even into night, they saw nothing of the dark dark stranger that had come to the nowhere cottage.


End file.
